Most turbofan-powered commercial aircraft favor body or wing-mounted main landing gear arrangements. In both cases, the choice implies the provision of a wheel well large enough to fit the wheels and a driving device comprising a strut joined to the wheels and ancillary elements for moving the wheels from the deployed position to the stowed position and vice versa.
In the former case, the installation of an aerodynamic fairing that covers the MLG in its stowed position may be required in order to minimize drag.
In the latter, the wheel well compromises the sizing and manufacturing of the wing torsion box. In the early stages of commercial jet development, this situation was palliated by the introduction of the “Yehudi”, a kink in the wing planform trailing edge that increases the wing root chord and hence, the available volume for MLG stowage.
Regardless of where the MLG is mounted, the wheel well is commonly covered and sealed in cruise by the landing gear doors. These doors may or may not entirely cover the MLG from the flow, e.g. B737, but have an impact on the wing/fuselage skin and on the airframe noise during approach and landing configurations.
Common to both scenarios is the complex kinematics needed to achieve efficient movement of the wheel bogie/truck. Needless to say, these elements undergo high loads during landing, taxi and static conditions, which make said components large and heavy.
Therefore a reduction of the weight and complexity of the MLG attachment is highly sought after by the aeronautic industry.
This invention is addressed to the attention of that demand.